Whitestar
by Cassy Finnigan
Summary: This is the story of a kit's journey to becoming leader of her clan.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Reedpelt, river clan's medicine cat rushed around as Birchwing began kitting. "What I need," he thought, "is an apprentice." He turned back to Birchwing with a mouth full of herbs. A powerful ripple passed through her body and a small kit came out. He broke the sack around it as three more powerful ripples passed and another kit slid out. He broke the sack around the second kit and helped Birchwing bring the two kits to her stomach where they immediately began suckling. The first kit was a small she cat and its pelt was all white except the tips of her ears and her paws which were brown. The second kit, a tom, was all brown. The only thing the two kits had in common was their icy blue eyes.

"You've done a wonderful job," Reedpelt mewed to Birchwing, "have you thought of names for them?" he asked the queen curiously.

"Whitekit and Mudkit." She replied, turning to the white kit, then to the brown.

A few days later Whitekit woke to the sounds of cats yowling. She opened her eyes, which were a light brown, and looked out of the nursery to where she saw a group of warriors arguing with Silverstar, leader of the clan and her father. She got up and started walking towards them when a voice behind her said, "And where do you think you're going?" Whitekit turned and saw her mother laying in the nest, her brother still sleeping beside her.

"I want to go see," She mewed.

"Come back, this doesn't concern you," Her mother replied.

Whitekit, being a clever and mischievous kit said to her mother, "But mama, what if it's cats from another clan coming to attack?" she paused and then continued, "Or a fox that some cat smelled?"

"Well if it involves any of those things it concerns the warriors, not you." Whitekit walked over to her mom and suckled, her hunger ebbing and her curiosity growing. "You will have a chance to help the clan when you are a warrior," her mother mewed after a long moment of silence.

"But mama, I don't think I can wait that long," Whitekit cried. She wanted to help her clan, and she wanted to do it now. She wanted to go out, but she wasn't allowed to unless she went with her brother, so Whitekit poked Mudkit until he woke up. "Come on Mudkit!" She mewed excitedly, "Let's go play!"

"I'm hungry," He wailed. But Whitekit wasn't listening; she was already standing at the mouth of the nursery, looking out at the camp. She turned to look at her brother and found him coming up beside her. They ran out of the nursery, eyes gleaming with excitement.

"Let's practice hunting," Whitekit said, turning towards her brother, "I'll be the hunter and you can be the prey." She lowered herself to the ground so she was in a hunting crouch then sprang at her brother. Before she could land on him she felt teeth dig into her pelt and reacted instantly, spinning so that she could pin her attacker.

"Okay, okay I surrender," her father mewed, swiping playfully at Whitekit's ear. "I can tell you'll make a fine Warrior when you are ready."

"But I'm ready now!" Whitekit replied, "See I've already pinned you, what else is there that I need to know?"

"Well first you need to be bigger and older, and then you need to learn how to hunt and take care of the other cats. Then you need to know how to fight properly."

"Well maybe I can help with that," one of the Warriors said as he walked up to them. It was a tom with silver hair and he was the deputy, ready to become leader if Silverstar died. "I don't think it would be too much trouble and I was about to head out with Dapplepaw anyway."

"Really?" Asked Whitekit with excitement, then looked at her father, "Can I go? Please?"

"Well I think you should ask your mother, but I do think it would be a good experience for you. Although your brother should stay, he looks a little tired." Whitekit looked over to where her brother was laying down on the grass having a nap in a pool of sun.

Whitekit ran over to her mother in anticipation and before she was even in the nursery called out, "Can I go watch Dapplepaw practice? Silverstar said it was okay!"

"Well if your father and Greypelt say it's okay then I guess you can, but be very careful."

"Thank you!" And with that Whitekit ran out of the nursery and over to where Greypelt and Dapplepaw were waiting. "She said I can come," Whitekit told the two other cats with excitement.

"Well considering how you ran over I'd already guessed," Greypelt told her with a smile.

Greypelt was one of the youngest warriors and he'd only been a Warrior for a little over three moons, but he'd helped the clan in a battle against Thunderclan and that's how he became deputy. The cat who'd been deputy previously had been killed even though many of the cats had tried to save him. Dapplepaw had been made an apprentice and given to Greypelt the same day Whitekit and her brother had been born.

The three left the camp and went to around the territory, making sure there were no enemy cats. They were almost done when they heard movement in the reeds near the border they shared with Windclan. Greypelt and Dapplepaw both lowered into crouches and Greypelt hissed, "Whitekit go back," But seeing that she didn't move he turned around and pushed her behind him with his head.

"Where is all the food?" a voice asked. Whitekit didn't recognize the voice but she knew it belonged to a tom, but she also knew she recognized the scent of a Riverclan cat on the breeze, but did not recognize the other.

"You'll get your food soon enough, but be quiet will you. I don't think the clan would like sharing their food with yours."

"No they absolutely wouldn't." Greypelt said, straightening from his crouch. "I thought the food seemed to be getting scarce. I just thought it was because the snow was coming. I never thought one of our own cats would be stealing food and-" He was caught off as the cat from the other territory pounced on him and slashed his neck. Without even thinking Whitekit attacked him and was swiftly pulled off, but not before she felt claws rake down the side of her face.

Whitekit felt herself being pulled away but grabbed onto Greypelt and the weight made the cat pulling her stop. "I'm not leaving him here!" Whitekit yowled as she draped herself over Greypelt's unmoving body. She heard a hiss and looked up into the face of the cat she'd jumped on. Other than a small scratch near his eye he was fine, but he looked very angry.

"Isn't this precious. Now I can get three of you out of the way, which means there will be more food for my clan."

"Darkstar, don't hurt her. Her father is the leader; you shouldn't start problems with him. Plus she's not even a moon old yet." The Riverclan cat mewed soothingly. Whitekit wasn't sure why it mattered that her father was leader; she didn't even know who the other cat was, but he backed away and the two retreated back into the reeds.

"Come on Whitekit, let's bring him back to camp," Dapplepaw said, she sounded like she was trying to soothe Whitekit, but it wasn't working very well. Together the two she-cats half carried, half dragged the warrior back to camp. They hadn't gone far, but the walk made Whitekit exhausted.

"Whitekit!" A voice yelled. She recognized it as her mother's and turned to face her. "Oh Whitekit," the queen mewed sadly, "You're beautiful face."

"It hurts!" Whitekit shouted. The whole way back she hadn't realised it because she was carrying Greypelt, but now that she wasn't holding him anymore she found that her whole face felt as if it were on fire.

"Greypelt!" Came a cry. It was Moonshadow, Greypelt's mate. She ran over to him and pressed her face into his fur. "Who did this?" she demanded to no one in particular.

"It was Darkstar. He and Blackpelt were helping themselves to Riverclan prey." Dapplepaw said sadly.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"Shadowclan?!" Came a hiss from behind Whitekit. She spun around and saw Silverstar standing behind her, his hackles raised. Whitekit cringed away from him in fear, this was the first time she'd seen him like this. He turned to one of the warriors, "Has Blackpelt come back to camp yet?" he snarled. The warrior shook his head.

"Last I saw them they were both fading into the shadows back to Shadowclan territory," Dapplepaw told him.

Silverstar turned to her, eyes narrowed. "Dapplepaw and Streampelt come with me." Whitekit watched the apprentice and deputy follow their leader and disappear into his den.

Whitekit felt teeth bit into her scruff and heard Birchwing's muffled mew, "Let's see what we can do about your face." She said, but it had sounded more like, "Le's see what we can do avout your vace."

"Just eat it Boulderpaw," Came Reedpelt's voice from the medicine clearing. Her mother put her on the ground and went to get the medicine cat. Whitekit sniffed a few of the herbs and put out her tongue to taste one of them. Unlike the other herbs it smelled really good.

"Whitekit!" She spun around at her name. She knew it was Birchwing, but she was knocked to the ground before she'd actually seen her mother. "Did you eat anything? Reedpelt!"

"I didn't eat anything," Whitekit replied sleepily. She hadn't realised how tired she'd been getting and she was almost asleep on her paws.

Reedpelt came over to them and asked Whitekit, "What was it you were trying to eat?" Whitekit pointed to the good smelling herbs and the medicine cat laughed. "It's only catmint, not particularly dangerous, but it's a very valuable herb." He looked at the kit and turned to Birchwing, "She should be back in the nursery though, she's going to fall asleep and block any cat from coming in!" He finished jokingly.

Whitekit was carried out of the nursery and set down in the nest. When her mother lay down next to her, the kit snuggled close to her. She fell asleep almost immediately, and almost as quick she was having a nightmare.

"Battle will rage through the forest, destroying everything you know," Said a mysterious cat. Whitekit was suddenly standing in her camp, but it wasn't peaceful. It was full of yowling cats and blood. Everywhere Whitekit turned she saw dead cats and others fighting to live. She saw a white pelt stained red flash past and realised with horror that it was Silverstar. As he ran he was attacked and he fell, the new and old wounds gushing blood. Whitekit ran to him to help, but it was no use. He was dead. She looked around and saw the bodies of Birchwing and Mudkit, lying dead together where the nursery should have been. She let out a wail and a big black tom lunged at her. The last thing she thought was, "I'm going to be killed by a leader."

Whitekit woke up to Birchwing mewing anxiously, "She's been tossing all night. Maybe she did eat one of the herbs."

"Well she's stopped now," Said another voice, Moonshadow. She had come in yesterday near dawn. Greypelt had died around sun high. "Look, she's awake." Her voice lacked any emotion.

Whitekit turned to look at her mother, "I'm sorry if I woke you," she mewed tiredly.

Birchwing bent her head and licked Whitekit between the ears. "I didn't have a chance to sleep. You fell asleep and started tossing only a few moments later. Did you eat anything? And be honest."

Whitekit rolled her eyes, "I told you before, I didn't eat anything. You stopped me before I was able to and Reedpelt said it was no problem."

"Then why were you tossing like that?"

"I was having a nightmare."

Birchwing's ears perked up, "What happened in it?"

"Well a cat told me…" Whitekit struggled to remember what the cat had said, but couldn't. All she could remember was the battle and the blood. "I can't remember something about a battle. Then I saw the battle and Silverstar was killed and…" she trailed off, unable to finish.

"And?" Birchwing prompted.

"And you and Mudkit were dead." Whitekit said quietly, barely able to say the words. She felt teeth in her scruff as her mother picked her up. "Where are we going?" she asked. Birchwing didn't reply, but continued walking. They went across camp to the Medicine cats' den.

"Reedpelt?" Her mother called. There was no reply, so she called out louder. This time they heard a muffled sound and then soft footsteps.

"Birchwing? What are you doing here?" The medicine cat looked around. "It's still night and Boulderpaw is sleeping."

Birchwing turned to Whitekit, "Tell him what you saw." She said quietly. Whitekit nodded and padded forward to tell the medicine cat about her nightmare.

When she finished Reedpelt looked terrified. "You must be an important part in this; even I didn't get any signs." He paused for a moment, "We should go share tongues with Starclan. We need to know more."

"But what if I need to be here? What if Shadowclan attacks or Silverstar decides to attack them?" Whitekit suddenly remembered what the cat had told her, "A cat came to me before I saw the battle, she said, 'Battle will rage through the forest, destroying everything you know.'"

Birchwing turned to her kit in surprise, "I thought you didn't remember what the cat said,"

"I just remembered. Maybe Starclan wanted me to tell Reedpelt but not any other cat."

Reedpelt nodded, deep in thought. "You may be needed here to try to avoid a battle, but some cat needs to get more information about this and I'm not allowed to go alone." He sighed, "Well try to get some sleep; we will decide what to do in the morning when our brains are ready to think." He padded back into the shadows of the Medicine cats' den, leaving Birchwing and her kit alone.

"He's right, come. Let's go back." The two silently went back to the nursery and Whitekit snuggled close to her mother again, eventually falling into an uneasy sleep.


End file.
